Congress Arming American Citizens
Training and private ownership of firearms by Americans as declared by Congress under federal law.
The rights of American citizens to keep and bear arms continues to be argued. The Second Amendment is routinely cited but there is much greater depth to this as found in the main body of the Constitution and under current federal law. Let’s review what the Constitution says.
https://www.senate.gov/about/origins-foundations/senate-and-constitution/constitution.htm
U.S. Constitution
Article 1
Section 1
All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.
Section 8
The Congress shall have Power:
To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;
To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress.
Per the Constitution, Congress defines what the Milita is, and then provides for organizing, arming, and disciplining them. If the intent is for individual citizens to privately keep and bear arms under the Constitution and the Second Amendment, then:
Congress has the power to define that Militia members include people not assigned to formal military units such as the National Guard.
Congress has the power to provide a provision to arm individual citizens and for these citizens to keep their arms in their personal possession.
Congress has the power to create a provision to train (organize and discipline) individual citizens in the use of arms.
Congress: Definition of the Militia
10 USC Ch. 12: THE MILITIA
§246. Militia: composition and classes
https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title10/subtitleA/part1/chapter12&edition=prelim
§246. Militia: composition and classes
(a) The militia of the United States consists of all able-bodied males at least 17 years of age and, except as provided in section 313 of title 32, under 45 years of age who are, or who have made a declaration of intention to become, citizens of the United States and of female citizens of the United States who are members of the National Guard.
(b) The classes of the militia are—
(1) the organized militia, which consists of the National Guard and the Naval Militia; and
(2) the unorganized militia, which consists of the members of the militia who are not members of the National Guard or the Naval Militia.
“The Militia is the National Guard” is true but incomplete; the National Guard is the Organized Militia. However, Congress has also formally defined per federal law an Unorganized Militia consisting of citizens who are not in the National Guard or other military forces.
Congress: Organizing, arming, and disciplining the Unorganized Militia
36 USC Subtitle II, Part B, CHAPTER 407, SUBCHAPTER II:
CIVILIAN MARKSMANSHIP PROGRAM
§40722. Functions
The functions of the Civilian Marksmanship Program are—
(1) to instruct citizens of the United States in marksmanship;
(2) to promote practice and safety in the use of firearms;
(3) to conduct competitions in the use of firearms and to award trophies, prizes, badges, and other insignia to competitors;
(4) to secure and account for firearms, ammunition, and other equipment for which the corporation is responsible;
(5) to issue, loan, or sell firearms, ammunition, repair parts, and other supplies under sections 40731 and 40732 of this title; and
(6) to procure necessary supplies and services to carry out the Program.
"You get your militia arms from the government." That's why the Department of Civilian Marksmanship (now the Civilian Marksmanship Program) was created and why it remains defined by Congress under federal law to this day. As outlined in Article 1, Section 8, Congress has formally declared under federal law the means to organize, arm, and discipline the Unorganized Militia.
Congress: Sale of military arms to American citizens
The U.S. government has been offering firearms to civilians and organizing marksmanship events with the intent of helping all Americans to become well-regulated in the use of arms. Current federal law and government programs for this are well over a century old. Read official government reports and news on this: https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-19-287.pdf
§40732. Sale of firearms and supplies
(a) Affiliated Organizations.—The corporation may sell, at fair market value, surplus caliber .22 rimfire rifles, caliber .30 surplus rifles, and caliber .45 M1911/M1911A1 surplus pistols, air rifles, caliber .22 and .30 ammunition, repair parts, and other supplies to organizations affiliated with the corporation that provide training in the use of firearms.
(b) Gun Club Members.—(1) The corporation may sell, at fair market value, surplus caliber .22 rimfire rifles, caliber .30 surplus rifles, and caliber .45 M1911/M1911A1 surplus pistols, ammunition, repair parts and other supplies necessary for target practice to a citizen of the United States who is legally of age and who is a member of a gun club affiliated with the corporation.
Training ensures all able-bodied Americans remain well-regulated in the use of arms that they possess. Shooting events are key.
§40725. National Matches and small-arms firing school
(a) Annual Competition.—An annual competition called the "National Matches" and consisting of rifle and pistol matches for a national trophy, medals, and other prizes shall be held as prescribed by the Secretary of the Army.
(b) Eligible Participants.—The National Matches are open to members of the Armed Forces, National Guard, Reserve Officers' Training Corps, Air Force Reserve Officers' Training Corps, Citizens' Military Training Camps, Citizens' Air Training Camps, and rifle clubs, and to civilians.
(c) Small-Arms Firing School.—A small-arms firing school shall be held in connection with the National Matches.
(d) Other Competitions.—Competitions for which trophies and medals are provided by the National Rifle Association of America shall be held in connection with the National Matches.
Examples of shooting and instruction with interviews from SAFS
The Department of Civilian Marksmanship started as a U.S. Army-funded program as a part of the Efficiency in Militia Act of 1903 and was put into law under Title 10. The purpose was (and is) to help keep American citizens well-regulated in their use of arms, whether assigned to the National Guard (Organized Militia) and those that are not (Unorganized Militia). This led to the creation of the National Board for the Promotion of Rifle Practice. For many decades, public schools maintained the largest number of indoor ranges in the United States as the NBPRP made marksmanship available to students. This was explained in an inaugural report, Report on the Feasibility and Advisability of some Policy to Inaugurate a System of Rifle Practice throughout the Public Schools of the Country.
https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/25662/pg25662-images.html
After almost a century of service, this program was transferred under Title 36 and is now the Civilian Marksmanship Program with headquarters at Camp Perry, Ohio, and has been the site of the U.S. National Matches and the Small Arms Firing School since 1907.
https://thecmp.org/cmp_sales/rifle-sales
Read official government reports and news on this: https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-19-287.pdf